The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday (March 3) endorsed plans by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) for pedestrian and bicyclist improvements along two segments of Route 29 in Centreville.
The project aims to upgrade multimodal facilities:
- Between the entrance to Newgate Shopping Center and the Trinity Parkway/Machen Road intersection
- Between O’Day Drive and Stone Road
“This is really a safety issue — this is an area where we have a lot of people walking,” Sully District Supervisor Kathy Smith said.
The improvement project includes upgrading the existing sidewalk to a shared-use path along southbound Route 29 from the Newgate Shopping Center to the Trinity Parkway/Centrewood Drive intersection.
In addition, the existing right-turn lanes from southbound Route 29 onto Trinity Parkway at both of the Trinity Parkway intersections will be modified to reflect an “Urban Smart Channel” configuration, which provides improved visibility between motorists and path users, county officials said.
Existing curb ramps, crosswalks and connecting sidewalks will be modified to match the new configurations.
Improvements between O’Day Drive and Stone Road include upgrading the existing sidewalk to a shared-use path along southbound Route 29 from O’Day Drive to Stone Road, upgrading curb ramps and realigning crosswalks at the Stone Road intersection.
The project is fully funded and tentatively set to start construction in spring 2028. The vote by the Board of Supervisors to endorse the project was unanimous.
Adaptive boxing champion celebrated
Also at the March 3 meeting, the board saluted the achievements of Claudia Palacios, a Fairfax County resident who won an international adaptive boxing championship at a competition held in Spain in January.
Palacios trains at DPI Adaptive Boxing Club in Fairfax. She saluted all the “coaches, teammates, fans and supporters who believe sports should be accessible to everyone.”
Adaptive boxing is conducted by those in wheelchairs, and is a growing sport across the region and nation. Supporters hope to have it included in future Paralympics competitions.
Celebration of life set for former supervisor
Fairfax County officials announced on March 3 that a celebration of life for former Sully District Supervisor Michael Frey will be held on April 11 at 2 p.m. at the Fairfax County Government Center.
Frey died Feb. 16 at age 69.
The former supervisor was “a good friend to a lot of us,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay, who praised Frey for “all of his accomplishments, not just for Sully District, but all of Fairfax County.”
The community is invited.
